Elimination of Violence Against Women

The Day Of Freedom

On June 2003, the murder of a lady named Canny Ong had shocked the nation where she was abducted, raped, stabbed and strangled to death before she was dumped in a manhole. Another tragedy that shattered the nation is the murder of Suzaily Mukhtar where on October 2000, while she was on the way to her workplace, she was raped, sodomized and strangled to death in a bus by the bus driver. These cases are not the only ones that made us question as to how far women are entitled to their rights to safety. There are tons of abuse committed against women and the Covid-19 pandemic just made it worse where most of the cases reported were domestic abuse. Most of them were unreported due to stigma, shame, fear and silence. 

The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women defines violence against women as any act of gender-based violence that results in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women. The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is celebrated on the 25th of November every year to spread awareness in order to eliminate every single piece of violence that is committed against women and to let voices be heard.

There is no denying on the fact that constant violence affects women in every aspect. These women would suffer physical abuse on a daily basis and not only does it affect their physical body, but also their mental well-being.

Physical consequences

In cases involving abuse and violence against women, the victims would suffer serious physical injuries which would gravely impact their lives. In some unfortunate cases, the victim died due to the constant abuse and gruesome use of forces. Apart from that, in rape cases, the victims are exposed to unwanted and early pregnancies including them being exposed to dangerous diseases such as HIV and STDs. These alone are enough reasons for us to stand together and eliminate such violence against women. We cannot tolerate any inhumane treatment towards women, and that no one has the rights to disrupt a woman's rights to her own safety.

Mental consequences

The impact of the violence committed against women is not only physical, but it also has severe adverse effects on the victim’s psychological well-being. It is frequently reported that the victims would tend to be diagnosed with post-traumatic disorder following the event of the abuse, depression as well as anxiety disorder. It is not an easy thing to face, as the trauma had deeply rooted inside the minds of the victims. In most cases, the perpetrators are amongst the people that the victims personally know such as family members and friends. The pain and the fear of being threatened not to speak out would be the answer as to why some of them are afraid to make the report about the abuse.

NO ONE DESERVES INHUMANE TREATMENT

Living as a woman is like living in uncertainty, constant fear and anxiety await them every minute. The fear that someone will come after their lives and tarnish them or the feeling of anxiousness that someone will hurt them mentally and physically. Like these two survivors who tried their best to get justice just to step out from their abuser.

A story from Sunthari Subramaniam, a Malaysian Indian woman who constantly faced abuse from her ex-husband for 20 years. She managed to escape from her tortured marriage after her daughter called and told her when her husband walked around their house with a sledgehammer.  She knew right away that she would pack up for divorce and leave everything behind. Luckily, she stumbled upon a Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) poster on domestic violence at her university and immediately called them. WAO quickly responded to her call and immediately set her up for a police report. For Sunthari, 20 years were not an easy journey for her, but today, she is more resilient. Sunthari is not only a survivor but a warrior thriving for her own life.

But what happens when the person who took an oath to serve and protect his community violates that oath? Becoming the very monster he promised to fight against and turning his back on the community he is supposed to protect? On April 2020, a police inspector was charged with 6 counts of rape of two Mongolian women at the Luxe Boutique Hotel in Petaling Jaya. The inspector was also charged with causing hurt and human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. If the accused is found guilty, we hope that the honourable judge would give the harshest sentence to the accused. As a police officer, he has a duty to protect the community. Victims of rape go to the police, seeking protection and justice. Instead, he had tarnished the good name of PDRM by being a predator. If victims cannot rely on the police to help them, who can they go to?

LET'S FIGHT!

In conjunction with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we advocate for everyone to participate in this journey to fight every violence that is committed against women. We advocate that every woman has the right to her own safety. We should stand with these women and break the silence, landing them some help and voice. Such small actions would eventually become their biggest strength to move forward. If not us, who? And if not now, when?

If you’re a victim or a witness to any violence, do contact these hotlines for further assistance!

WAO HOTLINE

●       WAO Hotline: +603 7956 3488 (24 hours)

●       SMS/WhatsApp TINA: +6018 988 8058 (24 hours)

TALIAN KASIH

●       Talian Kasih: 15999

●       WhatsApp : +6019 26 15999